Application of the Health Belief Model -Based Educational Intervention on Hand Hygiene Performance of Intensive Care Units' Nurses

Abstract

Background: Practicing hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infections. Cleaning hands can prevent the spread of germs, including those resistant to antibiotics and are becoming difficult, if not impossible, to treat. On average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.Aim of the study: This study aimed to apply the health belief model based educational intervention on hand hygiene performance among nurses working in adults and pediatric intensive care units.Materials and methods: A quasi experimental research design was used in this study. The study was conducted at pediatric and adult intensive care unit; at Tanta University Hospital. All available nurses 262who are working in the previously mentioned settings as the following: 118 nurses working in pediatric intensive care unit nurse and 144nurse working in adult intensive care unit. Tools of the study: Four tools were used to collect the data Tool I: Nurses' knowledge regarding Hand Hygiene Structured Questionnaire: it consisted of two parts: Part1: Socio demographic data of the nurses Part II: Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Hand Hygiene Performance. Tool II: Assessment of Nurses Barriers of Hand Hygiene Performance Questionnaire, Tool III: Hand Hygiene Perception Survey and Tool IV: Hand Hygiene Performance Observational Checklist. Result; the mean score of total hand hygiene performance using soap and water of nurses working in pediatric ICUs were 8. 85±1.02 and 10.10±1.84, while among adult ICUs nurses were 8.37±1.75and10.20±0.80 pre and post the educational intervention respectively. There was a significant difference of both groups in the; five Health Belief Model Construct in addition to nurses’ identified barriers of hand hygiene pre and post the intervention.Conclusion and recommendations: Total hand hygiene performance level and HBM construct regarding hand hygiene performance were higher among nurses working in pediatric and adult ICUs nurses post than pre application of the HBM educational intervention. Also, higher mean scores of the barriers of hand hygiene performance among all nurses in both ICUs pre compared to post intervention. Periodic and refreshment educational intervention related to hand hygiene is recommended for adult and pediatric ICUs nurses to improve their hand hygiene performance and further study for barriers in other ICUs is recommended.

Keywords: Health Belief Model -Based Educational intervention, Hand Hygiene Performance